Stands for continuous pay-off of wire and the like



March 26, 1963 J. c. BITTMAN STANDS FOR CONTINUOUS PAY-OFF OF WIRE AND THE LIKE Filed May 19. 1961 IN V EN TOR.

JESS C. BITTMAN FIG 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent STANDS FOR CONTENUOUS PAY-OFF OF WERE AND THE LEKE Jess C. Bittman, Cuyahoga Falls, (Emu, assignor to The Vaughn Machinery Company, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 19, 1961, Ser. No. 111,375

2 Qlaims. (Cl. 242129) This invention relates to wire handling and, more particularly, to an apparatus for the continuous pay-off of wire and the like.

In the continuous treatment of steel wire, rods, etc., the wire to be treated is usually supplied in the form of coils, spools, etc. In other words, although the wire treating process is continuous, the starting material is only available in discontinuous units. It is very important, therefore, to supply the wire to be treated in a continuous manner in order to make the treating process susceptible to automation and achieve uniformity of result.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for the continuous supply of wire or the like to a continuous process for the treatment thereof.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus wherein the wire is initially in the form of individual coils.

A further object is to provide such an apparatus which is well adapted to receive the coils of Wire quickly, easily and efiiciently.

Yet another object is to provide such an apparatus well adapted to pay-off the wire supply in a manner suitable for feeding a continuous wire treatment process.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the apparatus according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view of one stand along line AA of FIG. 1 without the wire coil or crane assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, stands A and B are shown mounted side by side in identical mountings with stand A in the foreground and slightly tilted upward from horizontal position. The identical stands consist of elongated bars 1 which are joined together at one end as shown at the left and right of FIG. 1 and are fastened at the other ends to a circular disc 2 at the base. A vertical drive shaft 4 extends through sleeve 3 to which disc 2 is fastened. The drive shaft is rotated by suitable electric motor means '5 located in the base housing 6 and driven by the motor 5. For example, the motor has a worm gear on its motor shaft which engages a worm wheel keyed to the drive shaft 4 in the base housing 6. Other drive mechanisms, suitable to rotate the stand could be constructed through the use of beveled gears, chain or belt drives, or, the motor 5 could be vertically mounted to directly drive the shaft. The base housing 6 is shown attached to one end of lever arm 7 which is pivoted about shaft 8. A hydraulic cylinder 9 is shown having its piston rod 10 connected to lever arm 7. As can be seen in the drawing with reference to stand B, piston rod 10 of the hydraulic cylinder 9 is extended and this raises the stand B to a vertical position as shown. The stand A, when the tinuous coil.

3,082,973 Patented Mar. 26, 1953 piston rod 10 is retracted within the cylinder 9, is in a tilted, nearly horizontal position. In this latter position coils of wire 11 are mounted on the bars 1 by the overhead crane assembly 12. The leading and trailing ends of the coils are welded together to make one long con- When a sufiicient number are mounted on the stand A, it is raised to its vertical position (as stand B) by the extension of hydraulic cylinder 9. A circular disc 13 having an upwardly tapered rounded periphery is placed over the coils 11 so that the wire 15 can be continuously removed over the sheave 16. If the stand B is rotated by the motor 5 at the rate of removal of the wire over sheave '16, the wire 15 will be smoothly removed in a more or less stationary position with respect to the axis of the stand B. This method of removal is usually conducted until the coil 11 is down to about at a distance of one foot from the disc 2. At that point rotation is stopped and the trailing edge of the coil of Wire 11 on stand B is welded to the leading end of the coil of wire on the other stand A. Although the rotation of the stand B by means of the motor 5 stops, the wire 15 will still be continuously removed overhead by circularly swinging or flipping around disc 13. When all of the wire 15 is removed from one stand B, the motor 5 of stand A has been energized and cylinder 9 of stand A has been extended and the cylinder 9 of stand B retracted so that the empty stand B has been tilted down and the next full stand A has been swung to erect position for continuous pay-off of the wire 15 over sheave 16. The hydraulic cylinder 9 and rod 10 can be replaced by any other suit-' able drive means adapted to raise and lower a stand A or B by acting on the end of lever arm 6.

To adapt the apparatus herein to automatic operation, a switch 17 is afiixed to one bar of the stand 1 about one foot above the plate 2. This switch 17 is actuated by the coils 11 therearound; as long as coils are pressed against it the circuit to the rotating motor 5 is closed permitting the motor to operate and the wire 15 to be swung off. When the coil is unwound below the switch, the circuit would open stopping the motor 5; this switch could also be connected so that the release of pressure thereon would also actuate the drive to the hydraulic cylinder of the opposite stand swinging it into an upright position. This opposite stand would by this time be loaded with a fresh coil of wire and the trailing end of the first coil could be welded to the leading end of the fresh coil while both stands are not rotating. The disc bases 2 could also be equipped with a switch 18 which is located beyond the circumference of the coil 11. This switch 18 would be actuated by the pressure of disc :13 coming into pressure contact with it when all the wire from that stand was removed. This switch 18 could actuate the rotating motor 5 in the opposite stand loaded with a fresh. coil 11 and could also actuate the drive to the hydraulic cylinder 9 for its own stand to swing it down into a generally horizontal position to have a fresh coil placed thereon. A time delay mechanism might be built into this latter switching system to ensure complete removal of wire from the first stand before lowering it and beginning rotation of the other stand. The wiring of such switching systems would be known to one skilled in the art. A further safety feature which could be employed would be to have means which would stop all rotation and switching in the stands and related equipment upon the failure of sheave 16 to rotate.

An advantage of this invention is that it provides an apparatus for continuously feeding wire or the like to a continuous treating process with a minimum of effort and equipment.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the de- 3 tails described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for the continuous pay-oft of wire and the 'like cornpris'ing in combination a pair of adjacent st-andsradapted for axial rotation, drive means for rotating the respective stands, levers mounting said stands for pivotal movement between vupright generally vertical positions' and generally horizontal positions, fluid motors act ing'on said levers to swing the latter between the' aforesaidpositions, and control means responsive to pay-off of wire to a predetermined extent fromone stand to deenergize'the drive means for that stand and towing the other stand to vertical position, and further responsive to the depletion of wire on said one stand to energize the drive means for said other stand and to swing said one stand to a generally horizontal position.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises switches mounted on said stands 7 above their bases, and switches located on said bases near the periphery.

Cul1in Nov. 14, 1939 Valin Oct. 23, 1956 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PAY-OFF OF WIRE AND THE LIKE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A PAIR OF ADJACENT STANDS ADAPTED FOR AXIAL ROTATION, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING THE RESPECTIVE STANDS, LEVERS MOUNTING SAID STANDS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN UPRIGHT GENERALLY VERTICAL POSITIONS AND GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITIONS, FLUID MOTORS ACTING ON SAID LEVERS TO SWING THE LATTER BETWEEN THE AFORESAID POSITIONS, AND CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PAY-OFF OF WIRE TO A PREDETERMINED EXTENT FROM ONE STAND TO DEENERGIZE THE DRIVE MEANS FOR THAT STAND AND TO SWING THE OTHER STAND TO VERTICAL POSITION, AND FURTHER RESPONSIVE TO THE DEPLETION OF WIRE ON SAID ONE STAND TO ENERGIZE THE DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID OTHER STAND AND TO SWING SAID ONE STAND TO A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION. 